Without enough grain growing locally, Markham Starr said, the remaining family-owned dairy farms in North Stonington have it trucked in from outside of Albany. Is that sustainable?

Markham Starr, photographer and author of Down on the Farm: The Last Dairy Farmers of North Stonington, spoke at the Dairy Farms in Connecticut: Change and Continuity gallery opening last week. Knowing only this obstacle in feeding many head of cattle may bring into question the future of farming in Connecticut, but in fact, it is hard to leave the exhibit feeling pessimistic.

This is the first exhibit of occupation-based art hosted by the Institute for Community Research. Most of the walls are covered by Starr’s stunning photographs taken over the span of one year in his hometown. During this time he also interviewed the farmers. Their words serve as the labels below each photograph, adding more dimension to their lives and work. Here are two of the many:

Toward the end of Starr’s year-long project of observing the generational farms in town, he learned that a new one run by three brothers had popped up. He described the brothers as energetic and enthusiastic, and maybe a little crazy to get into this field.

One wall of the exhibit is dedicated to information about the direction of farming in state today, with details about The Farmer’s Cow.

Since 2005, The Farmer’s Cow, a group of six family dairy farms — Fairvue Farms, Hytone Farm, Mapleleaf Farm, Fort Hill Farms, Cushman Farms, and Graywall Farms –have been stocking shelves with milk, eggs, about a dozen ice cream flavors, lemonade, and more. Their products can be found across the state, including in several groceries and restaurants in Hartford proper. The Farmer’s Cow Calfé & Creamery opened in Mansfield during the summer of 2012. They hold tours of member farms throughout the year; the next one is at Fairvue Farms in Woodstock on June 14.

Photo by Markum Starr

The Farmer’s Cow is also (partly) to blame for the lack of photos in this article. Most art openings have the standard wine and cheese. This one had cheese. And ice cream sandwiches, lemonade, cups of ice cream, and probably other things that were not noticed because of the free ice cream. More talented individuals could probably eat an ice cream sandwich while taking photographs and notes all at the same time. The pictures snapped ended up being too blurry to use, so for reference, check out the one sent by the Institute for Community Research as part of its press release.

The exhibit will be on view through the end of July; stop in Monday-Friday, 10-5 to check it out. For other viewing times, contact the ICR for an appointment.

Two special events are planned for June, during which the exhibit can be viewed.

There will be a roundtable discussion about dairy farming in Connecticut today, featuring Robin Chesmer from The Farmers Cow, Martha Page from Hartford Food Systems, photographer Markham Starr, and a representative from CT Department of Agriculture. This will be on June 5, from 6-8pm.

On June 26, William Hosley will give a presentation: “Reflections on Connecticut’s Agrarian History.” There will also be a screening of the film Working the Land. 6-8pm.

The Institute for Community Research is located at Two Hartford Square West, Suite 100, 146 Wyllys Street.